I. Name

The official name of this professional organization shall be The Modern Austrian Literature and Culture Association (MALCA), formerly the International Arthur Schnitzler Research Association. The organization understands itself as a registered non-profit foundation.

II. Purpose

The objective of this Association shall be to stimulate interest in and promote study and research of modern Austrian literature and culture through its publications, conferences, conference sessions, and other appropriate fora.

III. Administration

The administration of the Association shall be in the hands of the Executive Council, consisting of seven voting members (the President, Vice-President, and five Members-at-Large) and five non-voting members (the Business Manager, a representative from the Austrian Cultural Institute, the editors of the Association’s publications, and the Chair of the Conference Committee). All voting members of the Executive Council shall be

elected by the Association membership.

IV. Ratification

The Association's Constitution and its By-Laws shall be distributed to the membership and ratified by a majority of the votes received in a mail ballot of the membership of the Association.

V. Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution and its By-Laws must first be approved by a majority of the members of the Executive Council, distributed to the membership, and afterwards ratified by a majority of the votes received in a mail ballot of the membership of the Association.

VI. Membership

Any person or institution may become a member upon payment of the current dues and may continue to be a member by payment of the annual dues.

Distinguished individuals may be elected Honorary Members upon nomination by any member of the Association and subsequent approval by the Executive Council.

BY-LAWS

I. Membership Dues

Membership dues shall be determined and approved by the Executive Council, and collected annually by the Business Manager. Membership dues help to support publication of both journals, the annual conference, and other Association activities. All Association members shall receive the journals Modern Austrian Literature and Teaching Modern Austrian Literature.

Honorary Members are exempt from the payment of dues and are entitled to receive publications of the Association without charge.

II. Organizational Structure of the Association

The Association shall be headed by the Executive Council, consisting of seven voting members: the President, Vice-President, and five Members-at-Large; and five non-voting members: the Business Manager, a representative from the Austrian Cultural Institute, the editors of the Association’s publications, and the Chair of the Conference Committee. All members of the Executive Council shall serve the Association in an advisory capacity. Only elected members, however, shall have a vote. Elected members are the President, Vice-President, and the five Members-at-Large.

III. Duties and Terms of Members of the Executive Council

VOTING MEMBERS

The President shall serve a two-year term. S/he shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Council. The President has responsibility for serving as the contact person of the organization, for informing Executive Council members and others of their responsibilities, and for providing leadership for the Association.

The Vice-President shall serve a two-year term and become President upon retirement of the current President. S/he has responsibility for assuming the duties of the President if the latter is absent, assisting the President in leading the Association, and learning the duties of the President during tenure as Vice-President. The Vice-President shall be

elected every two years by the membership of the Association.

The five Members-at-Large shall serve three-year staggered terms. They shall attend all meetings of the Executive Council and help to determine policy for the Association. The five Members-at-Large shall represent to as great an extent as possible both geographical and institutional balance, thus serving all constituencies of the Association.

Duties of the members of the Executive Council are to be determined by the Council, but will include the following: Three Members-at-Large shall serve on the Nominating Committee. One Member-at-Large shall serve on the Publications and Research Committee.

NON-VOTING MEMBERS

The Business Manager shall also act as Secretary of the Association. S/he shall be custodian of all current funds, collect membership fees and other monies due the Association, and pay all bills properly incurred. S/he shall take and keep minutes at all business meetings and keep the records of the Association. S/he shall make an annual report on the membership and finances of the Association. The Business Manager shall be appointed by the Executive Council for a term of three years, renewable for one additional three-year term.

The editors of the Association’s publications shall make reports at the Annual Business Meeting on the status and activities of the journals, and advise the Executive Council on matters concerning the Association’s publications. The editors of the publications, Modern Austrian Literature and Teaching Modern Austrian Literture, will be appointed by the Executive Council for a term of three years, renewable for one additional three-year term.

The Chair of the Conference Committee shall serve as liaison between this

committee and the Executive Council. S/he shall make a report at the Annual Business Meeting on the status and activities of the committee, in particular concerning plans for current and future conferences, and advise the Executive Council on matters concerning the annual conferences of the Association. The Chair of the Conference Committee shall be the future on-site organizer for the annual conference.

The Representative from the Austrian Cultural Institute shall be appointed by the ACI and serve for the duration of his or her tenure in the United States.

IV. Standing Committees

The Standing Committees shall be as follows: the Publications and Research Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Conference Committee. The chair of each standing committee shall be a member of the Executive Council and deliver a report on the activities of the committee at each annual meeting.

The Publications and Research Committee: The primary responsibility of the

Publications and Research Committee shall be to further the research

activities of the Association and its members. It shall have charge of the

two journals of the Association, Modern Austrian Literature (MAL), to be

published three or four times annually, and Teaching Modern Austrian Literature

(TMAL), to be published once annually. In addition, members of the

Publications and Research Committee shall organize sessions devoted to

Austrian culture at the major annual conferences of the field.

The Publications and Research Committee shall consist of the editors of the

Association's publications and one Member-at-Large.

The Nominating Committee: The primary responsibility of the Nominating Committee shall be to solicit nominations and then organize and supervise the voting process for the positions of Vice-President and Members-at-Large. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three Members-at-Large from the Executive Council who shall serve three-year

staggered terms. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the senior member.

The procedure for filling elected positions shall be as follows: A call for nominations shall appear in one of the Association’s publications or via a mail ballot. Nominations may be sent to the Nominating Committee or solicited by the Nominating Committee, which shall then confirm if the nominees are willing to serve if elected. The Nominating Committee shall put together a ballot from the pool, which shall include very brief "campaign statements." Balloting shall be conducted by mail with the elected officers to be announced in the subsequent edition of the Association’s publications.

The Conference Committee: The primary responsibility of the Conference Committee shall be to determine the conference site and help organize the annual conference. It shall solicit site applications, chose appropriate sites and topics, and oversee the organizing efforts. The Conference Committee shall have at least three members: the past on-site organizer, present on-site organizer, and future on-site organizer. The Chair shall be

the future on-site organizer.

In an effort to make the study of Austrian culture more accessible and to broaden the base of membership in the Association, the annual conference of the Association shall be held at rotating sites throughout the United States. Site proposals shall be solicited by and submitted to the Conference Committee. The choice of site shall be made on the basis of

geographical location, institutional support, and commitment to the goals of the Association.

Final arrangements shall be left up to the local conference planning committee, but the basic format of the conference shall remain constant. To foster on-going discussion and exchange, conference organizers are encouraged to employ the following guidelines: limit overlapping sessions; invite authors and other cultural figures to read from or discuss their work; show films in the evenings; share meals.

The Association's yearly Business Meeting shall be held at the annual conference.

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